Window operating mechanism



Aug. 29, 1933. H P BROWN Er AL 1,924,706

WINDOW OPERATING MECHANI SM Filed April 5, 1932 EUGENE D. ANDERSON.

BMW

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE derson, Alameda, Califl;

said Anderson assignor to said Brown; Clara. B. Brown executrix of said Horace P. Brown, deceased Application April 5, 1932. Serial No. 603,336

t' Claims.

This invention relates to a Window operating mechanism for automobiles and other vehicles, and particularly to a mechanism which permits lowering of the window by downward pressure il thereon and automatic return or raising of the window when downward pressure is released.

In the operation or driving of automobiles it is essential and, in fact, required by la that a signal be given when turning to the right or lift and also when slowing down or when coming to a stop. The most common inethod of signaling is arm signaling. rIhis necessitates extension of the drivers arinthrough the window but, before the arm can be extended, the window must be lowered. Practically all windows are raised or lowered by a hand crans and connecting mechanism and this takes time and, a person is driving in congested traire where is it necessary to give frequent signals, it is almost necessary to leave the window fully onen, thereby subjecting the driver and other occupants of the car 4to excessive draft, entrance of rain, et cetera,

during inclement weather.

The object oi the present invention is to overcoins the objections above referred to by proa window operating mechanism, whereby the window n ay be raised to any position desired and then lowered by a slight downward pressure oi the drivers hand or arrn so as to permit uuiclr and ready extension ci the arm when a signal is to Toe civen; and further, to provide means `lor automatically returning the window lto raised position the moin-ent the ann is retracted, thereby giving the driver and other occupants oi the @5 car full protection against drat win-d, or rain, without interfering with the drivers ability to signal.

The invention is shown by way oi illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. i is an inside view oi an automobile door showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section talren on line 'Liil of Fig, l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the position assumed by the sector crank arm when the window is fully raised.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary cross section showing the manner in which the cables are attached to the window. l

Referring to the drawing in detail and particularly iiigs. l and 2, A indicates an automobile door comprising side frame bars 2-2, ton and bottom cross frame bars 3 and a, and an intermediate cross frame bar 5 which divides the door into two sections, to-wit, an upper section con- (ci. ess-12e) taining a window opening 6 and a lower section containing a pocket 7.

The several bars forming the frame of the door may be assembled and secured in the usual manner and the exterior and interior surfaces of the door may be provided with a metal covering, such as indicated at 8 and 9, or any other suitable material may be employed. The intermediate cross frame bar forms the sill of the window opening and it consists of two sections 5 and 5a, which are spaced apart a suicient distance to form a slot throughwhich' a window l0 may freely operate. Guideways are formed in the inner faces oi the side frame bars 2-*2 to receive and guidethe window and, while a nuinber of different types or" mechanisms may be provided for raising and lowering the window, a type rather commonly employed is illustrated and will be described.

The 'window raising and lowering mechanism here illustrated consists of a channel bar'll which supports and secures the window l0. Secured to the lower edge of the channel bar substantially midway between its ends is an angle bar 12, and engageable with a base ange of the angle bar is a pin or roller 13 secured to the outer end of e. crank arm ld which forms a part of a gear sector l5. The gear sector is supported by a pin le or other suitable bearing member and is adapted to rotate about the same. The pin, in turn, is secured in a bearing plate 17 secured on the inner face of the cross bar 5a and this plate, together with the cross bar, also forms a bearing for e. shaft 18 on the inner end of which is secured a gear pinion 19a which meshes with the teeth of the gear sector l5. The shaft i8 is also provided with a hand crank 19 disposed within convenient reach of the driver. When this crank is grasped and rotated in one direction, the gear segment, together with the crank arm ld, will swing downwardly in the direction of the dot and dash line indicated at 2o. Pin 13 on the outer end of the crank arm will, during such movement, engage tile oase flange of the angle bar 12 and thus pull the window downwardly into the pocket 7.

in mechanisms of this character a channel bar is usually substituted for the angle bar here shown so that when the hand crank 19 is rotated in a reverse direction the pin 13 will engage the upper flange of the channel and thus move the window upwardly to a closed position. In the present instance, a positive connection between the pin 13 and the bar l2 is not desired, hence means other than the crank lli and pin i3 must be provided for raising the window. In the present instance'a spring actuated reel or sheave is journaled on a pin. 23 which is secured in a bracket 24 carried by the lower frame bar 4 of `the door. Mounted within the sheave is a clock 26 4which is, in turn, secured to the sheave B.`

A pair of wire cables, such as shown at 27 and 28', are secured in one end to the sheaveY as at 29, while the opposite ends are passed over pulleys 27a and 28a. These pulleys are journaled in the upper part of the cross frame bar 5a. The cable 27 passes over the pulley 27a and the free end of the cable is attached to an anchor arm 27h, which, in turn, is secured to the channel bar 11. The cable 28 passes over the pulley 28a and the free end of the cable is secured to an anchor arm 28h secured to the opposite end of thechannel bar 11.

The spring 25 within the reel or sheave B will under all conditions have sufilcient tension to raise the window to a` fully closed position, hence if the window islowered by means of the hand crank 19, pin 13 will engage the angle bar and pull the window downwardly into the pocket. The cables surrounding the sheave or reel B will, during such movement, unwind and, if anything, place the spring 25 under greater tension but in view of the fact that the spring consists of numerous co'ils the increased tension will be almost imperceptible. If the hand crank is rotated in lthe opposite direction, the reel will rotate in the opposite direction due to the pull or tension of the spring 25. The cables will, accordingly, rewind themseves about the sheave and the window will follow the pin 13 and raise in unison therewith. Hence, manually operated means are provided Yfor lowering the window and spring actuated means are employed for raising the window. This is an important feature as one of the main objects of the present invention is that of permitting quick lowering oi' the window Vwithout actuation of the handcrank 19. This will be more fully understood from the following:

In the operationor driving of automobiles it is essential and, in fact, required by law, that a signal be given when turning right or left and also when slowing down or coming to a stop. The most common method of signaling is arm signaling. This necessitates extension of the drivers arm through the window, hence it is essential that means be provided for quickly lowering the window so that the arm can be extended at the proper time. I! the driver, as is usually the case, has to stop to rotate the hand crank 19 to lower the window, it is very possible that the signal may be given too late and an accident may be the result. Hence, when driving in congested trafiic where it is necessary to give frequent signals it is almost necessary to leave the window fully open. There is no objection to this, for instance in warm Weather, but if a driving rain or high wind is encountered it is certainly undesirable. By employing the mechanism here illustrated, the window may be maintained in a substantially closed position and, in fact, in the position shown in Fig. 1. IiiI the driver desires to extend his arm to give a signal, he merely grasps the upper edge of the window, as shown in Fig. 1, and pulls the window downwardly. A comparatively slight pull or pressure is all that is required, as the tension of the spring 25 may be adjusted to permit the window to be readily depressed. The moment the window is depressed the arm can be freely extended and the signal given and the moment the arm is retracted and the window is relieved of pressure the spring will immediately re-reel the cables 27 and 28 and thus raise or return the window to its former substantially closed position. Y

If a channel bar was employed in place of the angle bar, indicated at 12, such downward depression of the window by exerting downward pressure on the window would be impossible as the pin 13 of the crank arm would engage the upper bar of the channel but, as an angle bar is employed as previously described, the window, together with the channel bar 11 and angle bar 12, can move freely -in a downward direction `away from the pin 13. This is what actually takes place when the window is lowered by downward pressure of the hand or arm, and when the arm is withdrawnv and the window is relieved of pressure the spring and attached cables will immediately return the window to raised position. The distance the window is raised depends upon the position o1' the crank arm 14 and the pin 13, as the moment the lower flange of the angle bar engages the pin '13 further upward movement is checked, thus, by

adjusting the position of the crank arm 14 and pin 13 by means of the hand crank 19 the window may-be maintained in any raised position desired and it will always return to this position after lowering as the moment 'the window is relieved of downward pressure it will be returned by the spring and cables and the upward movement will only be checked when engagement is made with the pin 13.

In view of the fact'that the window can be lowered at any time desired by a mere application of downward pressure, it is obvious that it would be impossible to close the window and lock the car and any unauthorized person could come along and exert a suiiicient downward pressure from the outside and thereby open the window and then the door. Hence, means have been provided for positively dogging or locking the window when in fully raised position. This is accomplished by providing a lug such as shown at 12a. This lug forms the equivalent of an upper channel bar. When the window is raised to a completely closed position pin 13 will pass in under the lug 12a, see Fig. 3, and the window will then be positively dogged or locked against depression. The only way in which the window can be opened from this position is by rotating the hand crank to move pin 13 out or engagement with lug 12a, as shown in Fig. 1, and as this can only be donel from the inside of the car'unauthorized persons will not be able tolower the window an enter the car.

summarizing the salient features of the invention, it should be noted that the sector 15, together with the crank arm 14 and pin 13, has two functions; first, that of an actuator, and secondly, that of an adjustable stop member to limit upward movement of the window. The spring reel B at all times exerts a pull on the cables 27 and 28 and, as such, tends to maintain the window in a raised position and, if it were not for the pin 13 limiting such upward movement, the window would always return to a completely closed position when relieved of downward pressure. By adjusting the position of the crank arm 14 and the pin 13, an adjustable stop is provided which limits the upward vertical movement of the window, hence the window will always be automatically raised to any predetermined height or elevation desired due to the provision of the adjustable stop. Furthermore, as the pin or stop 13 also acts as an actuator, the Window can be mechanically lowered by actuation or the hand crank 19.

`While certain features of the present invention are more or less specincally described, I Wish it understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope o1" the appended claims. Similarly, that the materials and iin isli of the several parts employed may be such as the manufacturer may decide, or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. ln a window operating mechanism a window mounted for vertical movement, mechanically actuated means for lowering the window, said means also functioning as an adjustable top to limit raising movement oi the window, aid means permitting direct manual lowering of the window oy application or downward pressure on the Window, and a common means for raising tne Window whether mechanically or manually lowered.

2. in a Window operating mechanism a Windov! mounted for Vertical movement, a manually operated actuator engageable with the *afin`q der?` to lower the same and also adapted to function as a stop member to limit upward movement of the window, said actuator permitting direct manual lowering of the window by apgalication'of downward pressure upon the Window, and a common means for raising the window into engagement with the combination aotuator and stop niemeer when the Window llas been manually lowered and for maintaining the window in engagement with the stop member when mechanically lowered or raised.

ln a Window operating mechanism, a `"win-- den mounted for vertical movement, mechanism for lowering the window to any predetermined position within the range of movement of tine WindowI said Windev;r also adapted to' loe manually depressed to a position lower than the pre= determined position 'to which it has been mechanically lowered, and means ier automatically returning or raising tne Window to the mechanically predetermined lowered position.

4. In a Window operating mechanism, a Window mounted for vertical movement, anad- .justable stop member with which the Window is engageable at any point intermediate its range of movement, and means exerting an upward lifting force to raise the window into engagement with the adjustable stop member, said means permitting the window to be manually depressed and lowered with relation to the stop member and when released to automatically raise the window into engagement with the stop member regardless of the position oi said stop memloer,

5. In a window operating mechanism, a frame having a window opening formed therein, a window vertically movable in said opening, a aand cranlr operable from the inner face of the window frame, an adjustable stop member operated by the hand crank and engageaole with the window to pull the Window from a raised,

closed position to a lowered full open position or to any intermediate position, said adjustable stop permitting manual depression of the window to any 'point below the adjustable stop when the stop assumes an intermediate position, and spring actuated means normally maintaining the Window in engagement with tbe adjustable stop. v

6. In a window operating mechanism, a frame having a window opening formed therein, a Window vertically movable in said opening, a lia-nd crank operable :from the inner face oi the Window frame, a gear train actuated by the hand crank, a pivotally mounted arm actuated by the gears, a nin on tire free end of the arm, a bracket on the window engageable with the nin, said window and bracket being freely movable in a downward direction away from the nin out being held against' upward movement by the pin, and spring actuated means normal- 1y maintaining the bracket and Window in engagement With 'the pin.

nonnen e. anotan. nuoem n. arrogancia. 

